Find Lawyers in New York, New York for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Practice Area Overview
While some bankruptcy lawyers represent insolvent individuals, many corporate bankruptcy lawyers represent debtors, creditors, and groups of creditors in bankruptcy cases. When representing debtors, the bankruptcy lawyer’s involvement typically starts long before a company actually commences a bankruptcy case by counseling the debtor concerning strategic options. These options run the spectrum, from gaining the protections afforded by commencing a reorganization case under chapter 11 (to implement an asset sale, a consensual plan of reorganization, or perhaps a contested “cramdown” plan), to negotiating an out-of-court workout. Creditor representations similarly require strategic analysis and skilled advocacy. The challenge facing creditors’ counsel is not merely competing with the debtor and its shareholders, but also competing against other creditor constituencies with differing agendas. After all, the restructuring objectives of a trade creditor, a bond holder, a labor union, a government agency, or a creditor that may be junior or senior in the capital structure likely will vary, potentially to a substantial degree, depending on the circumstances.
In today’s dynamic financial restructuring landscape, bankruptcy lawyers also must tackle a host of ancillary issues. For example, cross-border insolvencies continue to grow in number and intricacy as businesses expand globally into legal jurisdictions around the world. Likewise, the advent and growth of structured financial products and derivatives adds additional layers of complexity to the already complex mix of legal and business issues that bankruptcy lawyers routinely confront. In addition, the bankruptcy process continues to serve as a springboard for M&A opportunities presenting distressed investors with opportunities to acquire assets at attractive valuations in the marketplace.
Bankruptcy law provides ample, important restructuring opportunities to financially troubled businesses and has made bankruptcy an effective business tool, as evidenced by the number of large business enterprises increasingly seeking the protections and benefits that bankruptcy affords.
John Ashmead heads Seward & Kissel’s Corporate Restructuring and Bankruptcy Group. John is a recognized expert in insolvency and distressed situations. His experience spans workouts, chapter 11, liquidations and foreign insolvency proceedings, where he represents trustees, agents, lenders, bondholders and other creditors, borrowers, equity holders, acquirers, members of and formal and informal creditor committees, and directors. In addition to restructurings, his engagements include...
Darren Azman is a member of the firm-wide Management Committee and a partner in the Business Restructuring group. Darren’s practice focuses on corporate restructurings, creditors’ rights and distressed acquisitions. His clients include troubled companies, official creditors’ committees, private equity sponsors, financial and strategic purchasers of distressed assets and others in connection with in-court and out-of-court restructurings. Darren has distinct restructuring expe...
Bill Baldiga is the Managing Director of Brown Rudnick’s Litigation & Restructuring Department, which includes its worldwide bankruptcy practice. He often represents middle market public and private companies in chapter 11 proceedings, official and ad hoc equity and creditor committees and strategic investors in complex reorganization proceedings. He has particular experience in bankruptcy litigation, especially as trial counsel in valuation and plan confirmation contests. Bill is r...
Joshua Brody’s practice focuses primarily on general corporate restructuring and bankruptcy matters. He represents creditors’ committees, debtors, bondholders, distressed investors, indenture trustees, bank groups, lenders and other parties in all aspects of bankruptcy cases, out-of-court restructurings, acquisitions and other distressed situations. Mr. Brody advises hedge funds and other financial institutions on the rights and remedies of various debt holders and in understandin...
Marty Bunin is a bankruptcy and restructuring lawyer. He advises creditors and creditors’ committees in chapter 11 cases, including cases filed by healthcare providers, service businesses, owners of real estate, hotels and manufacturers. Marty also represents general contractors, construction managers, lienholders and trust fund claimants in construction company bankruptcies. He is an experienced mediator of bankruptcy-related disputes in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. ...
Gerard Catalanello’s clients rely on him to provide practical counsel while handling their most complex bankruptcy matters. Clients ranging from financial institutions to debtors trust him with Chapter 11 cases with billions of dollars at stake. Gerard is chair of Alston & Bird’s Financial Restructuring & Reorganization Group. He focuses his practice on bankruptcy and creditors’ rights law. He represents lenders, funds, financial institutions, liquidation trusts, equ...
Andrew B. Eckstein has over 30 years of experience in handling complex debtor and creditor matters in bankruptcy cases and out-of-court restructurings. He represents debtors, creditors, creditors’ committees, lenders, landlords, contract counterparties, equity-security holders and asset purchasers in matters involving: real estate developers, industrial companies, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, professional service firms, investment funds, media and telecommunications enterpris...
Robert J. Feinstein is the managing partner of the New York office of Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP, the nation’s leading corporate restructuring boutique. He represents debtors, creditors' committees, equity committees, acquirers, and examiners in business reorganizations and related litigation. He also has experience representing debtors, committees, foreign representatives, and other case constituencies in cross-border chapter 11 cases and chapter 15 cases. Recent engagements...
Dan Fliman is a partner in the Financial Restructuring group at Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s New York office. Mr. Fliman has nearly two decades of experience working on high-profile restructurings and related litigations. He most often represents creditors, committees, debtors, shareholders, sponsors, and fiduciaries looking to mitigate exposure, or maximize recoveries, in contentious contexts. He is experienced handling a wide variety of disputes (from differing sides) in F...
Erez Gilad is a partner in the Financial Restructuring group at Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s New York office. Mr. Gilad has played a prominent role in many of the largest and most complex chapter 11 restructurings across the country. Leading hedge funds and private equity firms rely on his extensive experience and business acumen to navigate through corporate reorganizations, liability management exercises and distressed investment opportunities. Known for his results-driven...
Kristin, a partner in the Firm’s Business Restructuring practice, represents clients in bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings. She concentrates her practice in commercial bankruptcy and insolvency matters, creditors’ rights, out-of-court workouts and restructurings and financial services litigation. Kristin is a co-Managing Partner of the Firm’s New York office and a member of the Firm-wide Management Committee. Read full biography: https://www.mwe.com/people/going-kristin-k/
Jayme Goldstein is Co-Chair of the Financial Restructuring group at Paul Hastings and is based in the firm's New York office. Mr. Goldstein has significant experience in advising ad hoc groups of hedge funds, private equity funds, banks, large investment managers, and other financial institutions in complex in-court and out-of-court restructurings and distressed M&A transactions across a variety of industry sectors. Focusing on matters that require deep knowledge of corporate finance, cap...
Kris Hansen is Co-Chair of the Financial Restructuring group at Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s New York office. Mr. Hansen is a dealmaker and a consummate tactician renowned for his strong judgment, financial IQ and expansive market knowledge. Throughout his career, Mr. Hansen has guided clients through proceedings in bankruptcy and appellate courts across the country, as well as through many out-of-court situations. Mr. Hansen helps sophisticated investors in distressed credi...
For more than forty years, Mr. Hazan has specialized in all aspects of bankruptcy throughout the country, including representing creditors' committees in many major chapter 11 cases in a wide variety of industries. These cases include Kmart, Macy's, Northwest Airlines, US Airways (I and II), Caldor Department Stores, BiLo Supermarkets, Ames Department Stores, Venture Stores, Natrol, Quiznos, Sbarro I, Penn Traffic (I and II), Terrestar Networks, Warnaco, Fruit of the Loom, Biderman Industries...
Marc E. Hirschfield focuses his practice on bankruptcy, business restructuring, creditors' rights, litigation, and debt finance. With nearly 30 years of experience as an attorney, Marc regularly represents parties in bankruptcy proceedings and related litigation throughout the country. Marc is also a court-certified mediator and is appointed to mediation panels formed by the United States Bankruptcy Courts for the District of Delaware and for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. Ma...
Jordan Kroop represents debtors, official committees, acquirers, and significant creditors in chapter 11 matters involving publicly traded and privately held companies throughout the nation. Mr. Kroop is a fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy and enjoys a national reputation for representing clients in such diverse industries as manufacturing, real estate development, construction, hospitality, food and beverage, gaming, healthcare, and technology. Among the many prominent chapter 11 ...
Brett Lawrence is a partner in the Financial Restructuring group at Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s New York office. Mr. Lawrence focuses on in-court and out-of-court restructuring and distressed M&A issues for creditors, distressed investors, and equity holders. He represents official and ad hoc committees of creditors and equity holders, and counsels individual investors in structuring and executing investments, raising capital, and acquiring distressed assets. Mr. Lawren...
Kim M. Longo represents debtors, trustees, creditors and other parties in interest in bankruptcy proceedings of varying sizes. Her bankruptcy experience spans the many stages of reorganization and liquidation, including general estate administration, the assumption and rejection of contracts, the sale of some or all of a debtor's assets, the prosecution of avoidance and other actions, and the determination of claims. Most recently, Ms. Longo has been a supervising attorney in the firm's repre...
My primary objective is to protect my clients' business and legal interests. My expertise includes strategic mediation and arbitration, which makes my clients happy because it protects their interests while saving them time and money. As a consultant to distressed companies, I help my clients maximize recovery and return to profitability. Advising clients as they emerge from a temporary setback, I outline the legal rights, obligations and options for proceeding and we collaborate on a strateg...
Christopher Marcus is a partner in Kirkland's Restructuring Group. He represents debtors, creditors, equity sponsors, and investors in distressed companies in a wide array of industries, including oil and gas, energy, retail, telecommunications, media, real estate, and manufacturing. Christopher has been recognized in the 2018–2022 editions of Chambers USA, with sources praising him as “very smart and very commercially oriented,” “a good advocate” and a “ta...
Hugh McDonald focuses his practice on all aspects of restructuring, workouts and bankruptcy and litigation. He has represented secured and unsecured creditors, banks, trustees, bondholders, debtors, creditor committees and acquirers of assets. He is also experienced with asset sales in bankruptcy cases, debtor-in-possession financing, the liquidation of estates and cross-border cases. Hugh has represented parties in connection with complex commercial litigations and related appeals in both st...
Larren Nashelsky is the Chair of Morrison & Foerster. As Chair and chief executive partner, he takes the lead in setting policy and providing strategic direction to the firm. Prior to becoming Chair, Mr. Nashelsky focused his practice on U.S. and international restructurings, including Chapter 11 reorganizations, workouts, restructurings, secured financings and distressed acquisitions and investments. He has represented all of the major constituencies in restructurings, including debtors,...
David Neier concentrates his practice in bankruptcy matters, including corporate reorganization, restructuring and refinancing, and creditors’ rights. David frequently represents agents and lenders, official and ad hoc committees, creditors, trustees, examiners, financial advisers, purchasers, and fiduciaries in significant reorganization and restructuring matters. Please read more here: https://www.winston.com/en/who-we-are/professionals/neier-david.html
Mr. Ortiz provides efficient and practical advice to debtors, creditors, and other parties in interest in corporate restructurings, both in- and out-of-court. Mr. Ortiz has represented debtors in some of the largest and most complex chapter 11 cases of the past decade, including: Pacific Drilling, Westinghouse, Toisa, SunEdison, Aeropostale, American Airlines, and Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc. Mr. Ortiz has also represented creditors and lenders in the financial services and real estate sect...
For more than 30 years, Mr. Oswald has focused his practice exclusively on bankruptcy, out-of-court restructurings and creditors' rights matters. Mr. Oswald has represented clients in all facets of bankruptcy cases as well as insolvency issues in business transactions. Mr. Oswald is a partner at Togut, Segal & Segal LLP, which he joined in 1986 following internships with the late Hon. Conrad B. Duberstein, Chief Bankruptcy Judge, and the Hon. Cecilia Goetz, Bankruptcy Judge (retired) in t...
Kenneth Pasquale is a partner in the Financial Restructuring group with Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s New York office. Ken maintains a diverse bankruptcy and litigation practice, focused upon representing institutional creditors in reorganization proceedings and complex litigation matters. One of Ken’s strengths is the creation and execution of effective litigation strategies that have a decisive impact on the overall restructuring. He has led litigation teams in a vari...
I lead the Bankruptcy & Restructuring Team in Kilpatrick's New York office and maintain a national practice representing companies, creditors' committees, chapter 11 trustees, acquirers, financial institutions, and other significant parties in interest in complex reorganizations and financially distressed situations. I serve as a legal and strategic advisor in connection with debtors’ and creditors’ rights, corporate reorganizations, commercial and general corporate transactio...
Hugh Ray is a Principal in McKool Smith's Houston and New York offices and head of the firm’s national Bankruptcy practice. During more than 40 years as a practicing attorney, he has played a lead role in many of the country’s most recognizable bankruptcy proceedings. In addition to making several appearances before the House and Senate Judiciary Committees to testify on proposed amendments to the Federal Bankruptcy Code, Mr. Ray has served in leadership positions with several not...
William T. Reid, IV (“Bill”) is a founding member of Reid Collins & Tsai LLP (“RCT”). A true trial lawyer, Bill has tried a wide range of civil and criminal cases to verdict before judges and juries for over 25 years. For example, in 2014-15, Bill tried tandem jury and bench trials over two, three-week trials against Credit Suisse winning both and proving that Credit Suisse fraudulently syndicated a $540 million real estate development loan. In September 2015, the ...
Steven Reisman advises clients on a wide range of bankruptcy, restructuring and creditors' rights matters. His work helps creditors maximize their recoveries, allows debtors to wind down or restructure as they desire and helps investors to locate hidden opportunity. Steve is highly experienced in all aspects of Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases, as well as insolvency issues arising from transactions and out-of-court restructurings. He is particularly well-versed in the unique needs of parties to Ch...
I have more than 49 years' experience in the areas of creditors' rights, financial restructuring, and bankruptcy, and extensive experience in corporate law, asset-based lending, equipment leasing, factoring, commercial finance and securitization of assets. During my career, I have litigated in both federal and state courts, including the bankruptcy courts and appellate courts. I have also been a court-approved mediator for the United States Bankruptcy Courts for the Southern and Eastern Distr...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.
In Brief
The Upcycle Conundrum
by Karen Kreider Gaunt
Laudable or litigious? What you need to know about potential copyright and trademark infringement when repurposing products.
Wage and Overtime Laws for Truck Drivers
by Greg Mansell
For truck drivers nationwide, underpayment and overtime violations are just the beginning of a long list of problems. Below we explore the wages you are entitled to but may not be receiving.
My Husband Didn’t Want to Stay Married…But He Didn’t Want a Divorce
by Jennifer Billock
Patience—and the law—prevails when an uncooperative partner avoids divorce proceedings.
Enhancing Consumer Safety Through Winning Jury Trials and Substantial Settlements
by Justin Smulison
Firm founder and lead trial lawyer James P. Frantz discusses how landmark victories in litigation and trial protect consumers.